Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'excel'

English Word: excel

Key Russian Translations:

• выделяться [vɨdʲɪˈlʲat͡sə] - [Formal, often used in contexts of surpassing others in skills or qualities]
• превосходить [prʲɪvɐˈʂːatʲ] - [Formal, implying superiority in comparison]
• преуспевать [prʲɪʊˈspʲɛvətʲ] - [Informal, related to achieving success or excelling in endeavors]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in educational, professional, and motivational contexts, but not as everyday as basic verbs)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb conjugations and nuanced contexts; for 'выделяться', it may be B1 if basic forms are learned)

Pronunciation (Russian):

выделяться: [vɨdʲɪˈlʲat͡sə]

превосходить: [prʲɪvɐˈʂːatʲ] (Note the soft 'ш' sound, which can be tricky for English speakers due to the palatalization)

преуспевать: [prʲɪʊˈspʲɛvətʲ] (Emphasize the stress on the third syllable; common variation in fast speech)

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: To be superior or perform exceptionally well in a particular area (e.g., skills, achievements)

Translation(s) & Context:

• выделяться - Used in formal contexts like academic or professional discussions to highlight excellence.
• превосходить - Applied when comparing entities, such as in competitive scenarios.

Usage Examples:

• Он всегда выделяется в классе благодаря своим знаниям. (He always excels in class due to his knowledge.)

  English: He always excels in class due to his knowledge.

• Эта компания превосходит конкурентов по качеству продукции. (This company excels over its competitors in product quality.)

  English: This company excels over its competitors in product quality.

• Чтобы преуспевать в бизнесе, нужно много работать. (To excel in business, you need to work hard.)

  English: To excel in business, you need to work hard.

• Молодой спортсмен выделяется своей скоростью на соревнованиях. (The young athlete excels with his speed in competitions.)

  English: The young athlete excels with his speed in competitions.

• Она превосходит всех в этой области науки. (She excels everyone in this field of science.)

  English: She excels everyone in this field of science.

Meaning 2: To surpass or go beyond expectations (e.g., in performance or quality)

Translation(s) & Context:

• преуспевать - Informal contexts, like personal development or daily achievements.
• выделяться - In motivational or evaluative settings.

Usage Examples:

• Студент преуспевает в изучении иностранных языков. (The student excels in studying foreign languages.)

  English: The student excels in studying foreign languages.

• В этой роли актриса действительно выделяется. (In this role, the actress truly excels.)

  English: In this role, the actress truly excels.

• Команда превосходит ожидания тренера каждый раз. (The team excels beyond the coach's expectations every time.)

  English: The team excels beyond the coach's expectations every time.

• Чтобы преуспевать в жизни, важно ставить цели. (To excel in life, it's important to set goals.)

  English: To excel in life, it's important to set goals.

• Этот ресторан выделяется своим уникальным меню. (This restaurant excels with its unique menu.)

  English: This restaurant excels with its unique menu.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

These translations are primarily verbs, which undergo conjugation based on tense, aspect, person, and number in Russian. 'Выделяться' and 'превосходить' are imperfective verbs, while 'преуспевать' can be used in various aspects. Below is a sample conjugation table for 'выделяться' as an example:

For 'превосходить', it follows similar patterns but is less reflexive. 'Преуспевать' is irregular in some aspects and does not change in perfective forms. These verbs are aspectual, so perfective counterparts like 'выделить' may be used in completed actions.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • отличаться (to differ or stand out)
  • побеждать (to conquer or win, with a competitive nuance)
  • успевать (to succeed, more general than преуспевать)
• Antonyms:
  • отставать (to lag behind)
  • проигрывать (to lose or fail)

Note: 'Отличаться' is a close synonym but implies distinction rather than superiority.

Related Phrases:

• Выделяться на фоне - To stand out against the background (used for comparison in visual or metaphorical contexts).
• Превосходить ожидания - To exceed expectations (common in professional or service reviews).
• Преуспевать в деле - To excel in one's work (emphasizes career success).

Usage Notes:

'Excel' as a verb corresponds closely to 'выделяться' in formal Russian, especially when emphasizing innate talent or performance. Use 'превосходить' for direct comparisons, which is ideal in competitive scenarios. 'Преуспевать' is more versatile for general success but carries an informal tone. Be mindful of aspect in Russian: imperfective forms like these describe ongoing actions, while perfective verbs might be needed for completed ones. English learners should choose based on context—e.g., avoid 'превосходить' in non-comparative situations to prevent overuse.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'выделяться' without proper reflexive endings, e.g., saying "выделять" instead of "выделяться".
  Correct: "Он выделяется" (He excels). Explanation: 'Выделяться' is reflexive, so the particle '-ся' is essential; omitting it changes the meaning to "to highlight."
• Mistake: Confusing with English structure, e.g., directly translating "excel at something" as "превосходить в чем-то" incorrectly in tense.
  Correct: Use present tense properly, e.g., "превосходит в навыках" instead of mismatched forms. Explanation: Russian verbs must agree in person and number, unlike English's more flexible structure.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'выделяться' often carry a positive connotation in educational and sports contexts, reflecting the value placed on individual achievement in a collective society. However, excessive self-promotion might be seen as boastful, so these verbs are used modestly in everyday conversation.

Related Concepts:

• успех (success)
• талант (talent)
• соревнование (competition)